Dawn Of A New Age
by aoefreak2001
Summary: Well Mainly Based On Golden Sun but there is a bit of Zelda thrown in, First story ive ever written so would like some reviews


Dawn of a New Age The summer sun made its way to the glorious peak of the sky. It shone down heavily on the gleaming sword resting in the hands of a young warrior. The blade held in his left hand was now a shade of interesting red, caused by the intense battle that raged on around him. He had slain many of his enemies, mostly unmatched, for he had been training in the ways of the swordsman since he was ten years of age. This opponent was different however - stronger, smarter, more cunning. The young soldier was a towering six foot ten, but his adversary struck true terror into the hearts of all those that crossed his path. He stood at a massive seven foot five, and carried two scythes as his weapon of choice. He had evil, red eyes that seemed to penetrate into the hearts and souls of those that caught the hard end of his cold stare. The younger of the contestants wore a traditional black tunic, representing his homeland of Hylia. He had a valiant heart, and was accompanied on his journeys by a small fairy by the name of Navi. This man knew he would only get one chance of defeating his opponent, as the longer he wasted fighting, the more men he lost. As the fighting around him condensed, the youthful fighter isolated the main adversary. The entire battle seemed to stop, those who had a chance paused to inspect the confrontation between the two leaders of the forces. The victor would win the war; neither side had the morale to continue once their leader had fallen. They stood twenty metres apart, but both could feel the venom from the other's powerful stare. With a fearsome yell, the warrior lunged himself towards the burly man, who returned the instinctive action. With a devastating blow to the head, the young hero was knocked to the ground, dazed. He bravely fought, parried and counter-attacked until he could make it to his feet. His senses regained, he threw himself at the adversary, this time on the offensive. With a brave deflection by the Dark Lord, the hero's entire body was exposed to his powerful blade. Stepping out of the shadows, a new figure approached. As the scythe made its way to penetrate the young man's ribs, the large man cried out in pain, and instantly the blade dropped to the ground. The new figure, still hidden by the black shadows that covered his face, gave the hero a subtle nod. The hero understood, as it was his destiny to destroy the King of Evil, Ganondorf. As the Dark Lord made his way to his feet, preparing to attack, the hero readied his defences. Ganondorf, putting on a short burst of speed, surprisingly fast for the heavy build he possessed, raised his scythe, focusing only on the warrior's head. He swung victoriously. and missed entirely. The warrior sidestepped the blow and came through with an attack of his own. The legendary blade he wielded made its way deep into the ribs and eventually the heart of the Dark Lord. There was a bright light, and Navi explained to him that it was the Sages locking the King of Evil in the Sacred Realm, a dimension which was the link between the world and the land of the Gods. Triumphant, but terribly wounded, the hero dropped unconscious to the ground. The bright light around him turned grey, and then black.  
  
"So, you're awake at last." A pleasant voice filled the room as Link's vision fought to return to normal. The voice belonged to his sweetheart, Zelda, the princess of Hyrule. "I hope you feel better, you must do after sleeping that long!" "Did we. win?" the young man gasped, struggling to voice his words. "Yes, but we lost a lot of men. Those soldiers are a brave lot, aren't they? Whatever you did to motivate them, keep it up." "So Ganondorf is." a weak smile lighting his face. "Yes, he's not coming back, at least for a while anyway." Her reassuring expression turned to that of concern when she caught sight of her boyfriend in deep thought. "What's wrong?" she asked, determined to help where she could. "That man, the one who saved me. who was he? He was at least five metres away, how did he cause Ganondorf so much pain?" Link thought out loud. When he noticed the puzzled look on Zelda's face, he explained the battle, and how the figure had appeared, as if from nowhere. "Can you recognise him from anywhere?" Zelda inquired. "I feel. not like I've ever known him, but. I feel that our meeting was not coincidental." Link was lost in thought again. He decided to begin his search for the figure the next day, but had no idea of the complex happenings in the world, ones that would soon consume him into a much larger battle.  
  
"Pack your things, we're leaving!" a mysterious voice demanded. "But I've only had three courses!" a husky voice begged. The first male, standing at six foot, was a noble warrior. Going by the name Isaac, at age seventeen, he had been training in the ways of psynergy since the terrible accident in his village which resulted in the death of his father and his close friend's family. The girl, named Jenna, had apparently lost both her parents and her brother in that storm. The male, whining about his food, was Isaac's best friend, Garet. He would stand with him through thick and thin, at a massive six foot nine, and was standing right beside him when Jenna's family perished. "So what happened before you met us?" Mia, the Water adept, also seventeen, inquired. "Yes, you never did tell us how the elemental stars were stolen", added the Jupiter adept, Ivan, who was a young fifteen. "If I tell you, can we go, straight after?" the leader asked pleadingly. The group thought this was fair, and so began his tale: A little more than three years ago a powerful storm struck my home village, Vale. I was asleep at the time, but my mother, Isaac, woke me. "Isaac, wake up. please dear, wake up." I opened my eyes, the noise of thunder extremely close. "The Mt. Aleph Boulder is going to fall! Come on, Isaac! We have to go - now!" Being the caring woman she is, she made me put on my tunic before we left the house. Shortly before we left, my father entered, drenched. "Isaac, Dora, hurry! The Boulder could fall at any second!" We proceeded out of the house, and my mother expressed her worry. "Kyle. Will they be able to stop the Boulder?" "I don't think so. Not for long, anyway." his voice housing a concern I had not heard before. He ordered us to seek refuge in the plaza while he helped evacuate the other villagers. My selfless mother offered her support, and I was left to find my way down to the plaza. As I went down the stairs, a boulder fell, blocking my path. I saw my neighbour's house, and realised my parents had forgotten to inform him, so I took it upon myself. Another boulder covered the path that he took, and I realised I was stuck. I headed north, and found my best friend struggling with a chest full of his belongings. I persuaded him to ditch his gear, and we searched for another way to the plaza. We found one, and we passed the Elder's. The Boulder chose that time to fall, but they managed to hold it. Our new route involved travelling past Jenna's house, Garet's only love. We saw her brother, Felix, clinging onto a pole, and her parents could do nothing but stand on the pier and offer encouragement. My parents were there, too. Jenna went to the plaza to seek help and my mother headed north. We assisted Jenna, and searched for a villager with enough psynergy to save Felix. We found a man with a heart the size of his muscles, and that was quite large. We rushed to save Felix, but a second before we could save him the Boulder fell. It landed on the pier, and we thought it killed Jenna's parents and my father. The shockwave was so powerful we couldn't move, and the tidal wave saw the end of Felix. I rushed to find help for Felix, but more importantly Jenna, who couldn't believe her eyes. Garet stood by my side. We didn't get too far when we overheard two figures discussing matters beyond our knowledge. They thought the storm had wiped out the entire village, and mentioned things like "To think that Sol Sanctum could conjure up a storm this powerful." and "Just another demonstration of the awesome powers of alchemy." They discovered our presence, however, and a battle soon followed. They knocked us unconscious with a few short attacks; we were powerless compared to them. Jenna found us lying there, and we've been studying psynergy since then; we both knew that if we had psynergy back then, no-one would have died.  
  
Three years after 'The Terrible Storm That Struck Only Vale', Jenna came to pick us up. We were studying alchemy with Professor Kraden, a trained alchemy sage. The two that knocked us out three years were harassing Kraden, although we did not recognise them at the time. After the things they told him, Kraden urged us to inspect Sol Sanctum, the sacred shrine built in honour of the sun. We enthusiastically agreed, and we overcame many puzzles in the Sanctum. Psynergy was the key, of course. We entered further into the Sanctum than even the Elders of Vale have never been! We even got so far as to find the trap that triggered off the storm that caused so much pain. However, we solved the puzzle and disarmed the trap. We then found a warp in the heart of the shrine. It led us to a room, housing none other than the keys to alchemy, the Elemental Stars. Kraden demanded we fetch them for him, so he could research them. We agreed, and managed to obtain the Mercury, Venus and Jupiter stars. These stars also represent clans scattered across the land, adepts to each element. Mercury for water; Venus represents earth; Mars corresponds to fire and Jupiter, wind. We then discovered our friends, Kraden and Jenna, were being held hostage by Saturos and Menardi, the ones that refused to leave Vale alone. They forced us to hand over the elemental stars, but disaster struck when we got a hold of the Mars star, representing fire. The chamber began collapsing, and the elemental creatures, the Djinn, were released into the world. Saturos and Menardi were quick to retreat, followed by two new members - Alex, who could teleport whenever he saw fit, and none other than Jenna's long lost brother, Felix! Naturally, they took Jenna and Kraden and offered their lives for the Mars star, if they ever saw us again. We were confronted by the Wise One, a giant floating rock with more psynergy than everyone in the world put together. He urged us to escape, and held off the volcanic eruption that would soon follow. When we escaped, we explained our situation to the Elders, and the Wise One told us that the world was 'ours, to save or destroy'. We were then told to recover the Elemental Stars, and the rest is history.  
  
"Do you really think we should have left so early?" a female voice inquired. "Look, we've got a job to do, and we have to get away from Isaac and his group." Felix, the leader of the group explained. "I'm with Felix," agreed the youngest of the group, Sheba. "Although it's early, I'm still worried about them catching up," The oldest of the group, Piers, whose age was unknown, but definitely older than the trained alchemy sage, Kraden, voiced his thoughts. "I feel your concern, Jenna, but we don't really have a choice - the Mars beacon must be lit, or Prox will be destroyed." Kraden rationalized. This group had an interesting history; Felix was Jenna's older brother, standing at nineteen years of age. His sister, Jenna, was seventeen, Sheba was fifteen, and Piers, being a Lemurian, was well into his triple digits. Like the group they spoke of, Isaac and his friends, there was an adept of each element. Felix was a wielder of earth psynergy, with simple curing and reviving abilities and the power to make earthquakes at will. He also possessed the power to melt into sand, or to make roots grow into vines. Another trait of this type of adept was the power to wield blades in the form of psynergy, such as striking with a twenty foot sword. His rival Isaac also possessed these powers, but instead of melting into sand he could carry large objects beyond people's reach. Also, Felix could pulverise large objects whilst Isaac could catch small objects from afar. Jenna could employ the power of fire, striking with volcanoes or legendary serpents and dragons made of flames. She could also make cool auras to restore the health of her fellow warriors, or manipulate flames to fulfil her desires. Her counterpart, Garet, could move large objects out of the way, create explosions to destroy cracked objects or drive objects into the ground. Also, he could strike distant objects with a powerful force. Sheba was a wind adept, like Ivan, and possessed the power to bring forth cyclones and whirlwinds. On top of this, wind adepts could call forth storms and used weapons such as staffs to call forth the power of ninjas. She could read minds and could place limitations on others' psynergy. Sheba had fallen from the sky when she was very young, so she never knew her parents. She also had the ability to tie ropes to far away ledges, and to reveal things for their true form. Although Ivan didn't have the power to manipulate ropes, he could teleport at will to any place he had visited before. Piers, from the ancient land of Lemuria, was washed away from his homeland by a huge tidal wave, and thus was the first Lemurian to enter the outside world since the seal on alchemy was placed. He travelled around in a huge Lemurian ship, powered by a black orb. This ship had been modified through his travels with Felix, and included a pair of wings, which, combined with psynergy, can make the ship fly. The elves of Loho also added to the ship by attaching a large cannon to the hull. This was used to blast their way through icebergs to reach Prox. He possessed the power to cause inflict mighty damage with water and ice, as well as freezing puddles to make platforms, evaporate standing water or douse fire with rain. Mia, unable to parch water, could cloak herself and her fellow warriors into shadows to hide away from guards and monsters. As Lemuria is the last civilisation without limits on psynergy, they had the ability, in form of a mystic draught, to live for centuries, as it slowed down the aging process to a crawl. Although Piers had the appearance of a fifteen year old, he was in fact older than Felix's group combined. These four brave warriors were on a quest to light the four lighthouses, so alchemy could be freed and the world saved. Two had been lit, and the majority of the elementals, the Djinn, had been recovered. As their quest drew to its end, another more dangerous and challenging quest lay ahead.  
  
I feel. cold, so cold. the wind's picked up, and another lighthouse shall be lit. Felix will soon confront Isaac. It is time, for you to combine your powers and fight. You must bring them here, to Australia. Although I am filled with questions, I chose this point to wake up, typical. My watch tells me it is four thirty in the morning, but it feels like midday, only. cold. I've got way too much energy, I have to go out and play basketball. Pulling on my jeans and a white undershirt, and then covering it with a black sports shirt, I put my Adidas socks and Asics shoes on. I make my way to the court in our backyard. Six hours later, I collapse with exhaustion. "What a workout!" I say to myself. Ever since I broke my arm, two years ago in a game of soccer, I've been unfit, which is a shame. A slick black limousine is pulling up in the driveway. I don't like this. not a bit. I'm always hiding from mum's friends, so I sneak off. I grab my weapon of choice, a five foot wooden stick with a metal covering. It was red when I first found it, but it's now a faded red, otherwise known as pink. I make my way to the landing, so I can inspect these new visitors. Guests don't usually have guns, do they? As they enter my house, I enter their car, seems fair. Sifting through their files, as I'm sure their uncovering my.'files' on the computer, I stumble across military plans for an invasion of Australia. Shocked, I reel back, at the exact moment my horrified 'friends' exit my house. Timing is everything. He catches my stare, and glares back at me. His colleague is sneaking up behind me, I can tell by this fellow's eyes. Timing.timing. Suddenly I turn and bring my weapon crashing down on his hand, knocking the gun flying. The first fellow, we'll call him lanky, the other stumpy, starts firing. I am unaware that I'm already rolling on the ground reaching for the dropped weapon. I return his fire, but only with one shot. It makes its way towards his head, and he drops. dead. Uh-oh, stumpy's not too happy. He's unarmed, so I give him his weapon and reach for my own. Remembering the pain in his hand, he surrenders quite swiftly. I call the cops and discover a new figure in my house. He doesn't appear threatening, however. Wait, he's just an image, in my mind's eye. Go now, you must. Head to the lighthouse. "What lighthouse?" I ask, feeling stupid. Jupiter. "Yeah sure, bring me my ship." I retort, instantly feeling regret for being mean to this kid. In Weyard, you must go. NOW! "How?" I ask, feeling stupid. I see, you haven't obtained teleport. here I will help. "Whoa, so many colours, everywhere. trippy," I think with a grin. Suddenly, I'm on the ground again, standing in front of the biggest lighthouse I've ever seen. 'Jupiter Lighthouse' I'm told. Clutching my stick, I make my way inside. After an hour of exploration, I hear a scream, followed by a voice, "Mia, no!" Then I hear a male yell, and a thump. "Garet, hold on," another voice! I'm now standing outside, staring at a large gap separating me from the other people, who are now fighting two scary looking guys, well, one scary looking guy and one scary looking girl. Below the gap, a ledge is poking out, and two more people are on there. These must be Mia and Garet. Mia seems fine, although she looks kinda weird with green hair, hey, I won't hold it against her. Garet, I think. is hanging of the ledge by one hand, and claims his right arm won't move. "Hypochondriac," I say to myself, followed by a grin. But for now I've got to find a way to help them. There's nothing around, I'm going to have to jump, and assist them while I'm down there. Another party has just entered, and it sounds like they're sided with the scary dudes, the victors. I plant my back against the wall, and listen in. It turns out they are Isaac's enemy, the warrior who was fighting them. Well, they were. They want to help, but they have to light the beacon first. Great, there gone, some help they were. Oh well, now I have to help Mia. I draw a deep breath, walk up to the edge, expel the air from my already burning lungs, I never could hold my breath long, and jump. I deliberately miss the ledge, because I would have knocked Mia off, but I instinctively grab on to the edge. I scramble onto the ledge, and pull Garet up. "Who are you?" Isaac demands. "I'm just a regular bystander, I was walking past and I came save you, I swear." I retort, followed by a chuckle. "But seriously, I'm here to help." I turn to Mia, "Look, hold onto the stick and I can lower you down, at least to a height you can jump." I do so, and then assist Garet. It turns out I'm stuck up here now. I hate going down last. Oh well, I'll have to jump. Landing hard on my feet and falling onto my side, it's now Mia's turn to help me. Somehow she calls an angel; it looks like Cupid, somehow. It restores my strength, and I stand up. Isaac thanks me, still not knowing me, and I give him a nod and walk off. Suddenly the lighthouse shakes and the beacon is lit. I disappear into the shadows, and I know I'll see them again.  
  
"First things first, we can't fight in the middle of Contigo." Garet explains. "Do we have to fight at all?" Jenna pleads, throwing a despairing look towards Isaac. Felix felt he had some explaining to do. "Can you remember that storm three years ago?" He continued without waiting for an answer. "Nobody died." A gasp echoed throughout the group. "Your father, and my parents are being held hostage in Prox, and they will exchange their life for the lighting of the beacons." "Why don't we just raid the village, we're strong enough!" Isaac voiced his opinion. "There's more to it than that. Weyard will perish. Not soon, but it definitely will. The seal on alchemy means that all matter is disappearing, and the world is shrinking. Only lighting the beacon will save the world, but may also destroy it instantly.  
  
"Risk destroying the world now, or let it decay until it is destroyed. What a choice!" a new figure entered, shadows covering his face but a grin distinctly on his face. "Who are you?" Garet demanded. "The name's." the voice trailed off, "Darkace. And I shouldn't have to remind you that-" "That you saved my life!" Mia cut him off. It was obvious now that the figure was the same as the one at the lighthouse. 'The brave warrior who risked his life to save us' Mia had told them the night before. "I'm with Felix, the world needs us." "Hey, who says the world needs you?!" Garet intervened. "Watch it bud, or you'll find yourself hanging off the edge of another lighthouse! And this time, Mia won't need saving." Darkace put across his point, and did it well. Jenna was starting to admire this kid's quick thinking; his ability to lighten the atmosphere. Felix caught her gaze and shoved her playfully. "You'd better watch it, Mia might get to him first," he teased. Jenna shoved him back, "That's ok; I'll just have to fall off the lighthouse," Jenna replied, a little too loud. Garet was starting to get angry, and Isaac began talking to Felix again. Jenna tried to talk to Sheba, but was oblivious that she knew Jenna was continually looking over at Darkace. Ivan was sitting in the corner, smiling to himself, delighted in the turn of events. Piers was discussing alchemy with Kraden, and Mia was trying to find out more about the mysterious Darkace. She didn't realize that only she and Garet had seen him this close, seen his true face. "Everyone, I need to talk to you," Felix called the group over. Darkace, however, hung back. Eventually, Isaac and his friends vowed to assist Felix in his quest, and Darkace slipped out the door. They all went to the Inn, and Darkace had already checked in. Jenna had to share a room with him. "Don't get any ideas," Felix teased furthermore.  
  
Very good, you've managed to join Isaac and Felix. You must hurry though; Link will need your assistance soon. You must help them finish their quest first, light the last lighthouse. I forgot to ask the questions again, damn! Four thirty again, this isn't good, missing out on all my beauty sleep. No basketball court either. I get up and put on my attire, I should have gotten some more clothes before I was teleported. As I begin to tie my shoes, a sweet voice echoes through the room. "Where are you going?" I reply "for a walk, I need to think." "You can't go out alone, I'll come." She really is a beautiful person, honestly. I let her tag along and we walk the streets of Contigo. "They're beautiful, aren't they?" she says dreamily. I look over at her, puzzled. "The stars," she answers my unspoken question. We talk about her quest, her parents, and how I got there. I even got so far as to consider telling her about the voice! I don't, though, and we talk some more. She explains psynergy to me - "psynergy is the power to convert the energy of the mind into your hand and release it onto a distant object. There are four elements, and depending on what planet you are aligned with decides what psynergy you can and can't wield. I am aligned with Mars, and can manipulate fire. I don't know what you are aligned with, but you can see our psynergy, so you must be an adept." "An adept?" I inquired. "An adept is someone who has the power to wield psynergy, and only adepts can see psynergy being used." Jenna explained "Venus, I think," I state lost in thought. "What do you mean?" Jenna asked. "I can. summon huge blades, but on top of that I sometimes get these feelings, like when something bad is going to happen." I began, "Not much gets past me, and I have the fastest reaction window known to mankind." We arrived back at the Inn, and Jenna began to return to her group. Before she did, however, she turned and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I followed her up the stairs, but Felix was already coming out of the door. "We have to leave soon, I will be required elsewhere, and I have to help you finish your quest." I explained my situation to Felix, and why I needed him and vice versa. "Alright, we'll go straight there," Felix reassured me. "I'll meet you in Prox, you have other things to do," I told Felix, and left soon after.  
  
"I told you Jenna, we're meeting in Prox, jeez." Felix was getting impatient with his sister's constant questioning of Darkace. She had grown quite attached to him, and wondered why she stopped at a kiss on the cheek. They were nearing Prox, and their journey was coming to an end. They had endured many trials, and soon the final beacon would be lit. As they entered the village, Darkace rushed up to them. "We have to go, now!" He seemed quite agitated. "Why, what's happened?" Felix looked concerned. "Agatio and Karst, they went to the lighthouse over a week ago. they haven't returned." "You mean those two that set off that trap and attacked us on the lighthouse?" Garet seemed quite disgusted that Darkace showed care for them. "The only reason they attacked you was because you were planning on stopping the lighthouses being lit, thus destroying Weyard and more specifically Prox," Darkace explained, "They were protecting their village. They set the trap to make it a fair two-on-two fight, they're not bad people. Can we go now?" "We should help," Jenna offered her support. Eventually all of the others agreed, and the group made their way to the lighthouse.  
  
I shouldn't have waited for them, I should have just gone. I'm not going to let Karst and Agatio die because I wanted to wait for my friends. For that reason we went faster than usual. After a lot of exploring, we thawed two dragons, and they attacked us. I hung back, because I sensed something about them. When Felix dealt the finishing blow, they transformed into Agatio and Karst. They explained that they had been wandering around lost when a voice told them they didn't have the will power to go on. They then collapsed and were turned into dragons, to be frozen solid. They're now on the brink of death, and they say they feel cold, something the people of Prox aren't supposed to do. I suddenly cried out as I see a vision before me, I have never experience this before, and I black out. I'm standing in front of a girl, in Prox. We are in the future. She is saying something to me. "I can't believe Agatio and Karst are actually gone. They were a little mean, but they weren't bad people." I wake up, and apply this knowledge to our situation. Agatio and Karst are going to die. "Go!" I tell them, "Now. You have to light the beacon, but you'll have to go without me. I have to tend to them." I catch Jenna's gaze, and I struggle to hold the tear in my eye. "I have to help them," I struggle to find a voice as the tear slides down my cheek. Now I'm left with them. Agatio will survive, I can tell, but Karst's health is rapidly deteriorating. I take off my shirt and put it on her, grateful that I wore a shirt underneath. After tending to her, I hear a voice telling me to leave the lighthouse before it becomes dangerous. I carry Karst while Agatio runs beside me. Just as we leave the lighthouse, it emits a huge shockwave. Agatio escapes it, but I am launched into the air, clutching Karst. I see the ground approaching, and fast. The only way I can save Karst is to put one hand out to cushion the blow. As I do so, I shift my weight and use my hand to roll under her. I hit the ground hard, and we roll down the slope. When we land, I cover her so as to protect her from the shrapnel headed our way. As my luck would have it, I'm hit three times in the back, two of these not bouncing off, and a fourth hits me in the head, knocking me out.  
  
Three days after the lighting of the beacon, the group made preparations to leave for Vale. It had been an interesting journey for them, and soon they were to prepare to travel to the land of Hyrule to assist the legendary hero Link in his fight to restore peace to his land.  
  
"So, this is Hyrule," I state. I'm drawing in the warm rays of the sun as we make our approach to the castle. I have to look a sorry sight; I'm travelling in clothes that I've worn for over a month. Amazingly, they aren't torn or faded at all; they don't even smell bad. They're just getting kind of uncomfortable and hot at the moment. I'll wash them when we get there. As we approach a hill, we catch our first glimpses of the castle. We race up the hill and see it in full view, in all its glory. I personally have never seen anything more beautiful or grand. Jenna and I drop behind the group, and we talk all the way to the castle. Karst leans on Piers' shoulder and Sheba rests her head on Ivan. Isaac has befriended a girl named Feizhi, whom he helped when he saved her brother. Mia is currently holding hands with Garet; she started to show affection for him after she spotted Jenna kissing me. Only Felix is without a girl, as Kraden chose to stay in Weyard with Agatio to teach the inhabitants how not to misuse alchemy. "We have to find someone for Felix," I whisper in Jenna's ear. She giggles as we make preparations for nightfall.  
  
There was noise everywhere, soldiers and animals alike. Felix and the others didn't know which army to support, but Darkace leapt into action. The group readied there weapons, while Darkace held the attackers away from them. Jenna watched in admiration as he took down soldier after soldier, especially when he got into a particularly long duel with them. His weapon twirling and slicing through the air, he must have taken out about twenty before the others were ready. The sun had begun rising, destroying the dawn that marked the beginning of the battle. As Darkace fought on, beside Jenna, another figure was also fighting for this land and his girl. He had a sword in his left hand and a shield in the other. The sun was almost at its apex, and Ganondorf would soon show his face. Darkace had broken off from the fight, and concealed himself in the shadows. As he expected, Link and Ganondorf had also moved from the heat of the battle. They stared each other down, and then charged. Link was skilfully parried, and Ganondorf was following through with his scythe, no- one could help him now.  
  
I can't let them get to the group. I have to fight. Even on those nights when I went out and imagined someone's life depended on me, I never fought this fiercely. The enemies have grown to fear me, so they attack in groups. One soldier is aiming for my legs. I swiftly intercept his sword and come through with my own attack. Stumbling, he trips and calls on more soldiers to assist him. There are now five of them on me. I'm bravely parrying and counter-attacking, but I can't fight them off forever. Eventually, one guy delivers a fatal blow to my head. I manage to deflect enough that I am knocked flat on my stomach, but I've lost my weapon. I roll onto my back, and face the sneer of the biggest fighter I've seen in my life, honestly. he's huge! As he brings down his sword, I roll out of the way and follow through to his stomach with my foot. With a loud groan he falls to his feet, but quickly stands again. However, I'm already on my feet, sending my opponents flying. 'King Kong' has risen, and strikes me from behind. I'm knocked to the ground again, but 'big fella' tells the others to attack my group, who are now fighting as fiercely as I was. I struggle to breathe; he winded me with that blow. Again he kicks me in the gut, sending me sprawling. I can't move anymore, and yet he's still attacking me. I catch a glimpse of my weapon, and am soon on my feet sprinting for it. Another soldier sees me, and slices for my feet. Diving forward I land on my hands, gripping the stick, and flip over while spinning around to confront my pursuers head on. Five, six, seven times I parry, and then I'm on the offensive. Knocking one man in the abdomen, I kick another in the face and launch myself into the air, launching a powerful follow-through kick to the subject's face. That sees the end of him, only a few left. Swiftly banging another in the back of the head and changing my angle of attack to strike another's legs, I successfully repel another sword attack headed for my stomach. As this man reels from the shock I quickly bring my weapon into his back, and am free of any attackers. I break off from the main fight, and seek instant refuge in the shadows. Felix and the others appear great, not a cut or bruise visible. I stray to the outskirts of the battle, still cloaked by the shadows, and notice another important battle. A huge man and a young warrior are going face to face, not worrying about the other soldiers who have noticed the battle and treat it as a ceasefire. Both armies are seriously depleted, and I feel that the winner of this climactic showdown would mean the battle won or lost. Finally, after hours of striking and defending, the young warrior's ribcage is vulnerable to the scythes of which the larger competitor wields. I feel that he is not righteous in his ways, and an incredible evil is brewing within him. I step out of the shadows, and realise that the young warrior is Link. As this other foe comes through with his weapon, I summon Ragnarok, a legendary sword with enough power to remove all but the strongest opponents. In a dazzling display of colours, mostly brown and orange, it strikes the evil one with more power than I have every seen before. I know he can't see it, but still he appears unsurprised as he falls to the ground. He returns to his feet, and I give Link a subtle nod. He understands, and resumes the fight. Eventually he delivers the final blow, but I am already in a retreat.  
  
The amount of enemies invading this land was overwhelming. The group found they had to revert to their psynergy at numerous times. This time was different, however. there were far more enemies on them now than ever before. Isaac, taking lead of the situation, put all of his djinn, elemental creatures, on standby. Suddenly, as they were finally knocked to the ground, Isaac summoned Judgement, the might of the Apocalypse. With a great flash, a humanlike creature appeared in the sky. It had a shield in one hand and a lion head on the other. Several blue lights appeared and merged with the lion head. Suddenly the light was fired upon the battle. With an incredible flash, a great dome covered the battle, inflicting incredible pain to those with evil intentions. The group was freed from any attackers, and focused on the stragglers. Reinforcements kept coming, however, so the group never had a chance to rest. Abruptly, the fighters began retreating, and the group headed back to their campsite. As the warriors discussed the day's events, Link awoke and returned to the castle.  
  
"Okay, we revealed our psynergy and masked our presence. We were supposed to do it the other way around, but everybody has bad days." I debriefed the group. They have become comfortable with me taking over, as they are in a strange land. I have to tell them about my quest. "We have to hurry. my people are dying." "What do you mean?" Jenna inquires. "A holy war, where I come from. I stumbled across the plans of invasion, they're already attacking. Although they don't have an official name, they're highly notorious. We have to get Link and go." "I can't wait to see your land, Darkace," Jenna replies with glee. "Don't get your hopes up; our kind is destroyed by technology. instead of using our intuition to save the world, we create weapons we can use to destroy our opponents." Darkace began, "Forget World Peace, we have to wipe out everyone who opposes us first. This isn't my view. but many of the World Leaders don't share my opinion."  
  
"I'm going to start by searching Hyrule Field; there has to have a camp somewhere." Link had already begun his search, but the villagers across the land only spoke of a mysterious man who fended off any threat to them. "He sounds like quite a mercenary. I wonder if he's single," Zelda teased Link with a grin. "Even so, you're not leaving my sight!" Link retorted playfully. "I have to go, I know I'm going to meet him today, I can feel it!" Link had been searching all day, and the afternoon was beginning to subside. "I have to find him," he began again. He eventually gave up and returned to the castle. When he entered his room, he noticed Zelda tied up. Before he could unsheathe his sword, a powerful man had seized him from behind and held a knife in front of his face. "I'm going to kill you, you and your friend that assisted you in murdering Ganondorf!" This intruder was apparently a follower of the Dark Lord. "If you don't take me to him, I'm going to kill you on the spot!" "I don't know where he is, all I know is he has a power neither of us could begin to comprehend." Link was worried, but he wasn't going to betray anyone. "Then I kill you now!" the assassin cried as he raised his dagger. Without warning, a figure dropped from the ceiling. "You've got until now to put away the weapon!" he stated calmly. "Or what, you're going to talk me to death?" The antagonist wasn't going to back down. "Times up, now we have to do this my way," the new figure reasoned. Suddenly the dagger dropped to the ground, and the bearer soon followed. During the conflict another individual had managed to stealthily approach the enemy and strike with his own blade. Link immediately untied Zelda, then turned to his rescuers. "Who are you?" he demanded. The figure who had dropped from the roof introduced himself as Darkace, and the other was named Isaac. "Wait a minute, I remember you!" Link recognised the person as the very same that had saved him from the King of Evil. "Why are you here?" Link asked some more. "We don't have time to discuss these matters, I need your help. I'll explain when we return to my land. Also, Zelda must assist me in my quest."  
  
We are finally ready. We've spent three days in Hyrule since we revealed ourselves to Link, and I know my world will be in peril by now. We've come a long way, but it is finally time for me to return to my people and fight for what I believe in. Zelda has an interesting strategy; she has an alter ego, Sheik, who happens to be male. This is a great assistance if we are required to enter the army, whatever the reason. Link also has an incredible skill with swords, highly useful if we are caught in close combat. Travelling with Link is a small fairy, by the name of Navi. This gift from the Great Deku Tree has proved an extraordinary assistance to Link along his travels. It took quite a while, but we managed to explain psynergy to Link and Zelda. Link remembers seeing me summon Ragnarok, which means he must be an adept. Zelda also recalls viewing Judgement, which means she has psychic abilities. I took it upon myself to teach them how to use their psynergy, and they caught the hang of it pretty fast.  
  
The warriors had arrived in the world Darkace belonged to. They were fascinated by the gadgets and technology this land possessed, even simple things like cars and buildings with more than two floors. None of the warriors understood lifts and escalators, but they appreciated it nonetheless. Darkace hurried off to a briefing taking place in an apparently abandoned building, and heard of a top secret mission which required a number of elites to perform the task. Waiting outside, the rest of the group noticed soldiers making their way to the building. These soldiers weren't friendly, however, and began firing on the group. They managed to draw their weapons and began their own assault on the enemy. Darkace heard the gunfire and summoned the members of the meeting to attack. He was lead to a room full of weapons, where he took two pistols and filled a bag with enough weapons and magazines for his friends. All hope seemed lost for the young band of warriors, who were incredibly outnumbered and under-equipped. Piers took lead of the situation, however, and summoned Boreas, the God of the North Wind. An incredible machine appeared on the mountains, and an ice chunk landed on the top. The handle began rotating, and shredded ice made its way to the battlegrounds. Enemies were knocked everywhere, but those that remained countered with more firepower than ever. Missile-launchers were loaded and fired, and just when it seemed the group would perish, the doors flung open. Standing in the doorway was none other than Darkace, a large group of soldiers toting assault rifles and other support weapons behind him. He tossed the bag to the warriors, and began firing with his pistols. As the group was hiding to the right of the building, he leapt to the left, firing the entire time. Round after round came out of his gun, and almost every bullet hit its target. A sniper stationed itself on the roof of the building, and began firing upon the attackers. "Get a whirler in here!" the commanding officer screamed into his radio. Launching a well-placed grenade, Darkace wiped out a large number of his opponents. Freeing up a crucial moment, he managed to make it to his friends, who were finding it hard to use their support rifles and pistols. With his assistance, they soon got the hang of it, but eventually decided to lead an assault with their chosen weaponry. As they launched their counter-attack, Darkace gave them covering fire. Mia screamed when a soldier dropped from the tree beside them, but Garet shielded her. The warriors were forced to surrender, but before they dropped their weapons, a single bullet was fired from the top of a building. It wound its way to the soldier, and he cried out in both pain and terror as it pierced his neck. He dropped dead soon after, and the group began their assault again. Darkace lead a small band of the elites to the rear of the invading forces, and began an attack from their new vantage point, destroying the formation of their opponents. Reinforcements arrived for both sides, but the defenders soon found they were entirely weighed down, and had no hope of fending off the amount of soldiers returning their fire. With a scream a jet roared across the battlefields, and fired upon the troops that threatened the group. Another jet came, but this time fired two missiles, causing havoc to the soldiers that had stationed themselves in the forest. Felix retreated with his warriors when the first missile struck, and the group barely made safety before the second missile hit. A third jet followed, this time not bearing the insignia of the Australian Air Force. It gunned down the first jet, not particularly worrying about the escape capsule making its way to the ground, but the second managed to dodge and weave until a great air battle ensued. Finally several American helicopters arrived, and the soldiers leapt aboard. Immediately after the chopper had taken off, Darkace directed the helicopter to the air battle. "Head over to those planes; try to get them at three o'clock. Just a little higher." Darkace then prepared the large turret on the side of the helicopter, and fired a few lethal bullets at the offender, leaving the Australian pilot enough time to rescue his fallen comrade and return to his base. As they flew over the battle site again, Darkace caught sight of a small creature feasting on the dying bodies, as if drinking their DNA. It definitely wasn't natural, and Darkace knew it had something to do with today.  
  
The mission isn't going to be easy, but I have to try. There's no way an ordinary strike team can stand up to that sort of ambush, especially in their territory. I need that mission, for Australia's sake. After the battle, we were all transported over to America in state-of-the-art stealth choppers. We have joined the army, in the hope that we may be able to get a hold of the mission. Jenna and Mia have become nurses, as they were refused entry into the armed forces. Zelda entered under Sheik, so now trains beside the rest of us. The Sergeant has appointed him as 'a sniper, as he has incredible accuracy but can't handle himself in the trenches'. Felix and Isaac are in command of several special units, and Ivan is in charge of mission coordination. He is assisted by Sheba, who is in responsible for establishing contact with agents. Link and I have been appointed as stealth operatives, particularly espionage, and we are also required in the firing lines. Piers and Garet are both soldiers in the trenches.  
  
The Colonel merely smirked when Darkace, Link, Isaac and Felix entered the building. They explained their situation to the Colonel, and Darkace informed him about the group's incredible skills and endurance. The Colonel stated very simply, "if you are as good as you say you are you won't mind a little. test." He led the warriors outside, and news of this challenge had spread throughout the entire camp. New recruits and veterans alike lined the boundaries of the testing area, and the other members of the gang watched from behind the safety barrier. With his back to the building, the Colonel pointed to Darkace. "You there," he spoke as Darkace stepped forward, "if you can hit this clay pigeon in mid-flight, then you shall be promoted to the head of my strike team. You only have one shot." "That's impossible, isn't it?" Jenna asked, clutching her brother's arm. "This mission will be out of his reach if he fails." Piers added. "You've got yourself a deal." Darkace glared directly into the Colonel's eyes. Suddenly, the Colonel threw the plate and it was gone. Darkace held his ground; his gaze even more so. Forty, fifty metres the clay pigeon flew. Twenty metres above the ground it sailed. ten. Without warning, when the plate was a metre off the ground, Darkace drew his pistol from his left holster and turned in one motion. He didn't pause for aiming, although one eye was closed for precision by this point. Firing a single bullet, the clay pigeon made its way toward the ground. Within a foot from the ground, the bullet struck it through the centre and it shattered into hundreds of pieces. A large murmur echoed throughout the crowd. It was unbelievable that anyone could fire so fast and accurate at all, let alone with their weak hand. "Alright, I admit defeat." The Colonel gave control of the mission and seven of his best soldiers to Darkace and his friends, although only Darkace had authority over them and vice versa.  
  
"We have armed ourselves well. Although we have limited Kevlar, there's enough to deflect glancing blows; a direct hit will still pierce the armour," Darkace explained to the Colonel. "Each of us has a 7.62mm pistol with an attachable silencer, but I chose two 9mm pistols with scopes, it has a certain appeal. These are our backup weapons, so I am also carrying two submachine guns. Piers is taking with him an assault rifle, a far more advanced version than the standard ones issued to both armies. Felix is carrying two high-powered, silenced pistols with enough firepower to send a man back five metres with rapid shots. Although they are highly inaccurate, they come with zooms and Felix has incredible control over them. Link has taken a shining to the pump action shotgun, which is so advanced it has a thirteen-bullet chamber and is able to fire two bullets in succession with its complex spring-loaded firing chamber and double firing mechanisms. Isaac has chosen an assault rifle with an infra-red zoom and a customisable laser sight. Garet, wanting power, chose a heavy assault rifle, which comes with a subtle grenade launcher, that is, subtle until it is fired. Sheik carries with him a sniper rifle, which is silenced and has a zoom capacity of nine kilometres. He also carries with him numerous sets of mines: proximity, timed and remote, as well as laser tripwires. Mia, Feizhi, Karst and Jenna are to tend to the wounded and defend the hospital if it is attacked, at the battlegrounds. This is Darkace, over and out." "Are you sure you can handle this?" The Colonel expressed his concern. "Sir, my men are fighters, we won't let you down." The plan is finalised, but now I have to brief my men. "Alright, let's get this straight. Our first job is to extract the doctor, whom can be found in a local hospital. After we have safely secured her, we are to head into the jungle and establish a search party to locate the missing soldiers. We are then required to defend the doctor and the soldiers until air support arrives, in which case we will be transported to the battlefields. We are not permitted to assist any of the natives, and if the doctor refuses to make her way on board the helicopter, we are to use force. We have a few rules of engagement, namely, we aren't to fire a shot unless we are under attack. Also, we are only allowed silenced weapons unless it is open warfare. If for some reason we can't make it to the rendezvous point, we are to head to the nearest border and seek reinforcements. Alright men, head to your stations."  
  
The plane was nearing Africa. The parachutes were readied; this would be a stealth mission. "I'm going to try to tap into the central computer," Ivan's voice beamed through the static of the radio. Two minutes passed, and then Darkace broke the silence. "Are you in, kid?" After the reply, he added "Okay, stay sharp. If anything regarding us or our mission comes up, let us know. Darkace, over and out." He then turned his attention to the others. "This is it, standby for infiltration." Abruptly the rear door opened, and on the green light Darkace leaped out. He was followed by Link, and then the elites. Isaac and Garet soon followed, and finally came Piers, Felix and Sheik. The females were to head straight to the battlefields, where they would assist the hospital.  
  
We've landed undetected, we're safe for now. I took a woman hostage, a native. It was a stupid thing to do, I know, but I need her to lead me to the doctor. We eventually get there, and I leave Piers to calm the poor woman down. The doctor appears quite frustrated that she is being interrupted from her patients by a bunch of Australian elites and a strange- looking group accompanying them. "Pack you things," I tell her in my best authority voice, "you've just been transferred." "I'm not going without my people." she states defiantly. "You're coming, trust me. The amount of people I choose to save depends on how well you cooperate." I add with a smirk. "I'm serious!" She's not giving in. After half an hour of arguing, I finally submit. "Alright, but I can only save the ones who can move without assistance. Pack lightly, and tell them to do so. Go now." Switching to my ear piece, I add "Sheba, I need choppers for about sixty to seventy people." "I'll see what I can do, but you'll be waiting at least two weeks." "I understand. thanks. Can you inform the hospital that we will be late? Also assure the Colonel his mission will be completed. Darkace, over and out."  
  
They left in a hurry, enemy soldiers were just a few days away. They headed to the nearest village and recruited more African refugees. Darkace chose to stay. The group headed on, determined to reach the rendezvous point. Felix seemed hesitant to leave his leader behind, but only the doctor, Jane Rowlanski, seemed to notice. Darkace had discarded his firearms alongside his gear; he now stood alone with his weapon of choice.  
  
I sense something, something that makes chills run down my spine. A dark force rising; this village will be attacked in a matter of days. All who can support themselves are fleeing with my group, and I know that I have defied my mission briefing, but these people need me. Besides, the doctor will still be delivered. Only the nuns and the priest are left to tend to the sick, and anyone who messes with anyone in this village does so after I'm lying in my grave.  
  
"We have to keep moving, we've lost a lot of ground with these new villagers." Felix had been appointed in charge since the departure of Darkace, and he was desperate to reach the rendezvous point. "These people are sick, they have to rest." "You dragged all these people out here," Garet pointed out, "if they can't keep our pace they get left behind." "Garet, we can rest." Felix reluctantly told the others. A few hours later, they set off again. With Felix making sure nobody hurt themselves when traversing the harsh jungle terrain, and Isaac ensuring that no-one wandered the wrong way and Garet setting the pace, the group made quite good progress. Piers also healed those that fell too sick, but it was only temporary relief. After a while Felix met up with the stranded soldiers, and Piers assisted them for the rest of the journey. The group reached the rendezvous point not too long before the two helicopters. "There's not enough for all of them," the doctor realised with horror. Felix was ready for this reaction and lifted the doctor over his shoulder. The soldiers acted as they had been ordered; creating a perimeter so nobody could get to the helicopters. When everyone was onboard, and the doctor had finally calmed down, despite tears still rolling down her cheeks, the pilot pointed out a battle. They were passing the village, and many of the huts were on fire; even the church had begun blazing. The truly shocking sight was unconscious and dead Rebel Soldiers, and a very determined Darkace fighting the remaining attackers. "Stop now, we can both benefit from this." The doctor began pleading, but Felix was caught in deep thought. He knew Darkace would be relieved from his duties if he reached the battlefields, and that the mission was incredibly important. Ten minutes later, he broke the silence. "Turn this thing around; return to the rendezvous point." "Yes, sir!" the pilot responded enthusiastically.  
  
They got here earlier than I expected. I awoke at around nine o'clock in the morning to a terrifying yell of pain. Grabbing my weapon and slipping my guns in their holsters, I rushed to the source of the yell; the church. The priest had been murdered by Rebel Soldiers and the nuns were next on their list. The two soldiers guarding the assassin met the hard end of my two scoped pistols. As they fell, the murderer turned his attention to me and a battle soon developed. I defended the nuns whilst they evacuated the sick, but those who couldn't move were murdered. Now I stand here, holding back this same guy I've been fighting for the last two hours. I eventually see the two helicopters and my way home flying overhead, but now is not the time to be waving. This murderer only has a sword, but he fights far better than the numerous others I have dropped whilst we've been fighting. In the end this man's support backed off and began burning the village, but I'm slowly picking them off. I signal the nuns to seek refuge with their patients, and I lead my opponents away from them into the forestation.  
  
When they passed the village again, the warriors could feel nothing but despair for their leader. Many of the huts had been burnt to the ground, and the water was now stained a deep red. The survivors, quite a lot of them, were inspecting the wreckage - Darkace must have lured the attackers away. Felix felt that Darkace had died a truly honourable death, protecting helpless victims from slaughter. Out of the corner of his eye, just as the helicopter was passing the site, Felix caught site of a small creature. It was feeding on the unconscious soldiers, and many more were starting to appear. Felix sensed an incredible evil, as did the rest of his group. It was believed that these creatures were responsible for today's happenings. The chopper finally reached the rendezvous point, where the abandoned Africans were beginning to leave. Sitting in the grass, however, was a bloodied Darkace, fully equipped and a large smile abroad his face. "It's good to see you again, sir." Felix greeted his superior. "Always a pleasure," Darkace added. "Sheba, I need those choppers landing at the village, immediately. Also, I'll need another three standing by in about a month. This is Darkace, over and out." After establishing contact with Sheba, I turned to Felix. "We have to move fast, those soldiers I was fighting will be back, with about six or seven hundred reinforcements." Darkace knew that this was against his mission orders, but he turned to his men. "We're being followed by more soldiers than we can ever hope to beat. I am directly defying my mission, and I know that you will want to do the right thing. I am asking you now, and only now, if you are going to help me save these people. After this the choppers leave and we're stuck until we can cross a border. I can't guarantee anyone's survival, but I can promise you that I will pledge my entire support to bringing you back alive. All who disagree are to leave now." Amazingly, nobody moved, with a new respect shining through their eyes. "We'll still be completing our mission," Darkace added, "but I'm just going to send the Colonel some extra passengers; an early birthday present." It was decided - the group would stay and fight. "Get the old and sick, as well as the young children, onto the helicopters; you have room for seventeen," Felix informed the doctor, "but you're coming with us; we need a doctor." Felix then turned to the pilots. "Sir, take these Africans to the nearest hospital. "Alright, we have to head into the jungle," Darkace informed his men, "We have to avoid a confrontation at all costs. it's not just our lives on the line."  
  
We have begun our trip through the jungle. It's incredible how hard it is to traverse the ledges, the vines and the roots of trees. My friends have caught sight of a number of native animals and can't believe how perfect they are, weirdos. We have been walking the entire night; we have to find a place to sleep. I've set up boundaries for the group, but I hear a person nearby, several, in fact. They are clearly Rebel Soldiers, I can tell even thought it is well past midnight. I can't hurry and tell the group as it will alert the soldiers to our presence. I have to follow them, and as I do I slip a gun from its holster. They split up, however, and one of the groups stays behind. I can't move anymore, and can only watch in horror as the soldiers head towards our party.  
  
Felix heard the soldiers before the rest of the group, and hurried to alert his friends. The entire band of travellers was forced to keep quiet, but the Rebels were searching the jungle incredibly intensely. It seemed as though the African refugees would be discovered, but the search party passed them. When they had passed, Felix let out a sigh of relief, although he had no idea where Darkace was located. He suddenly became aware that he was now only twenty metres from the doctor. She let out a gasp as a final soldier leapt in front of her. He raised his gun and prepared to call for reinforcements. In an act of desperation Felix hurried as quietly as he could. Within just two metres from the soldier he crouched, waiting. waiting. The gun was cocked, and Felix unsheathed his sword. Suddenly he covered the soldier's mouth and dug the blade deep into his back. He continued to cover the soldier's mouth until he slipped to the ground, lifeless. A few minutes later Darkace met up with the shocked group. The doctor thanked Felix for saving her as he cleaned his weapon.  
  
I have no idea what they were doing, but an incredible evil was present. Felix killed one of the soldiers, that can't be good. Link radioed over that we were being followed, that the original mission of destroying the African villages was to follow the destruction of us. That's not exactly good for anyone's confidence levels, trust me. We have made far more ground than anyone thought possible, but Piers' psynergy is draining fast. Isaac and Felix are also stepping in to use their psynergy whenever possible, but we've still got a long way to go. Sheik is practising his sniping skills; he can also feel the evil brewing around us. Come to think of it, I don't know any who can't. For this reason we are travelling a lot faster than usual, even the warriors have resorted to carrying around their artillery, but the terrain is getting worse with each step. I don't particularly care about my survival, but I've seen how Felix and the doctor stare at each other, we're going to make it, for their sake.  
  
Somewhere off in the distance, not too far from the original rendezvous point of the warriors, a new group emerged. This group was aligned with the Rebels, and was now ready to regain what they had lost in their battle against a brave and cunning warrior; over five hundred reinforcements followed the leader of the group, the assassin. They were hot on the trail of their subjects, but also felt the terrible evil consuming the area. When he had returned to the village, this time not worrying about the villagers rebuilding what they had lost, he headed to the scene of the battle, where he discovered his men dead, torn apart by something not human. The bodies were absolutely demolished, limbs were ripped off, great patches off skin were shredded, and the assassin felt a great rage brewing within him. He rushed to the villagers, but before he killed any of them he realised they had startled whatever had done this. They rushed to save the survivors, they even risked their lives. The assassin was grateful for this, and ensured that this village was spared. He left soon after, furious at the amount of men this one soldier cost him, but the wounded soldiers from the first battle remained behind, after explaining to him the creatures that had attacked them.  
  
The group was nearing the outskirts of the jungle, and were nearing a village. They heard great screams coming from the huts, with only a kilometre in between them. Felix explained the situation to the doctor whilst Darkace informed the refugees. Sheik climbed a nearby tree, armed with his sniper rifle. With his scope, he could see that Africans were rapidly being slaughtered by Rebel Soldiers, obviously the ones that passed them before. Woman and children were also gunned down, there was no way possible that the warriors could use their close combat weapons. At Darkace's signal, Sheik fired and killed three soldiers about to murder a number of villagers. "There's about one hundred soldiers down there, arm your silenced weapons." Darkace prepared a strike team. "What about you, sir, you don't have any silenced weapons." A soldier brought up an interesting point, but Darkace was ready. "I'm going to stay behind after you attack. As soon as I hear any conflict, I'll start my approach. As soon as you see me, you can properly arm yourselves. Remember, there are innocents down there; we can't afford any accidental casualties. Start your assault now, hurry!" Felix took lead of the situation again, splitting the group into two. One team was to start an assault as soon as they were within range, whilst the other, lead by Isaac, was to make its way to the back of the confrontation and start a fresh assault. Felix and Piers were part of the first strike, holding off the Rebels until more firepower came. Sheik downed any soldiers that came into his line of sight, and that was quite a few. As soon as Darkace caught sight of the soldiers he began his approach. Felix stealthily approached a number of the guards and ordered the soldiers to find vantage points. Isaac did the same, with the exclusion of Garet and Link. Those three warriors managed to surprise a large group of soldiers and, assisted by Sheik's covering fire, eliminated them. Many villagers were saved by their efforts, but Isaac continued on. A soldier was attempting to rape a woman, but Isaac tackled him and shoved him into a wall. Punching him over and over again, Isaac soon knocked the soldier unconscious. "Save your strength, you can kill him after we save the other villagers." Garet was one hundred percent supportive of Isaac's actions, but knew that there were fiercer opponents to beat up. They leapt threw the village, attacking anyone hostile. Garet, now used to his silenced pistol, shot soldier after soldier. Felix wasn't finding it as easy. He had entered the gunfight at an awkward angle, allowing his opponents free shots at his group. They quickly found cover and struck back, but only succeeded in wiping out about twenty soldiers before they had to retreat to more cover. This area was towards the middle of the village, and the group had to repel fire from both in front and behind. Five soldiers managed to sneak up behind them, and held them at gunpoint. Almost in synchronisation, Sheik gunned down one and Darkace leapt over the hedges to drop another two. The group immediately reached for their assault weaponry and fired back stronger than ever. Soldiers fell as Felix and Darkace made their way through the village. Piers returned to the refugees in order to eliminate any stragglers that found them, and, assisted by Sheik, managed to restore the group's safety. Sheik discovered a new vantage point, where he could scope the entire village. Many soldiers fell to his incredible accuracy, and the battle soon favoured them. Darkace shot down a soldier that was trying to undress an American woman and Felix saved seven children from a hostage situation. Garet was sending his enemies flying with his assault rifle and Isaac wiped out his opponents with an incredible anger. Piers sniped those he could with his guns and Link took out his adversaries at close range with his shotgun. The doctor made sure everyone remained calm, so they wouldn't reveal their position. The soldiers that were assisting the warriors escorted any liberated villagers; they fired upon those that threatened them and lead any attackers away from the refugees. They had been trained well, and had a strong sense of honour and duty. Darkace managed to secure a rooftop, and shot down any enemies with his pistols. Isaac let those that were fleeing go, as did Felix and the soldiers. Eventually the battle was won, but the group had lost valuable time. When Felix returned to the group, cut and bruised badly, the doctor rushed up to inspect his injuries. "She never gave us that treatment," Darkace whispered to Piers, "If you ask me, I'd say she has the hots for him." Piers laughed out loud and the entire group stared at him with puzzled expressions. Joining in with the laughter, Darkace managed to inform him of the last transmission, pretending that was the reason they lost it. "Ivan just beamed over a message. It turns out the Colonel was furious with two helicopters of refugees landing on his ship. Not one of them was the one person he wanted, and Ivan turned around and said 'Nobody's perfect, they just couldn't figure out which one was the doctor so they sent all of the likely candidates,' to which the Colonel replied 'how many American doctors look like African children?' Ivan countered with 'how many idiots employ a bunch of amateurs that show up one day and manage to hit a flying clay pigeon by chance?' The Colonel could only stare in disbelief, and stalked off. Quite hilarious if you ask me." "Whatever does it for you," Felix muttered, and it was the doctor's turn to smile.  
  
"Alright people, we have to move fast. Ivan has informed us that we are top priority to all the resistance factions in Africa. If anyone sees us, they are to inform the group of twenty-three hundred soldiers hot on our trail." I turned to my men. "We have saved about thirteen hundred Africans, its time we made our way home." Everyone agreed, and we left right away. The refugees are weary, but thankfully not a single one has died or reached critical. Everyone we rescued in that last village have survived, which is quite a surprise. Every single person in the group has commended the soldiers' and warriors' actions both in battle and during the long walks through the jungle, and I have to agree. We have made incredible ground, but Ivan informs us that our pursuers are moving much faster. They even spent the entire night chasing us, as if they knew where we were. In an hour they were expected to reach us, but Sheik had an amazing idea.  
  
The area was soon rigged with mines, both proximity and remote. Sheik covered the entire area, but when he was ready to leave the soldiers arrived. He hid in the dense forestation, and when the first mine went off he threw timed mines into the fray. As the men scattered he detonated the final mines before he retreated to his group; he was no longer the centre of their attention. Struggling through masses of trees, roots and vines for more than an hour he reached his group to report the outcome. "Great idea, you wiped out quite a few of them." Garet was the first to congratulate Sheik with his successes, but not the last. In fact, everyone seemed grateful for his efforts, but a confrontation was inevitable. "We've got a couple of days max before they reach us." Darkace stated the inescapable truth. "We've saved more than enough ammo, but our body armour is starting to wear away. I don't know how much longer we can keep our hit- and-run tactics, but my guess is we can't use them much more. Our first priority is to get the refugees as far away as possible, but they will need firearms. The wounded soldiers are also a priority, but arm them with the best we have. In two days time we are to station an attack. I want vantage points for everyone; if there's an obstacle, I want someone hiding behind it. That goes for everyone - every villager, child and soldier. Felix is to stay in between the battle and the villagers, along with Isaac and Piers. Garet will also be joining them, but a lot closer to the conflict. The soldiers that can fight will be in the middle of us, where they can provide firing cover and get themselves away. Link and I will be at the very front, where we can hold off everyone and strike with counter- attacks. I want the villagers safe! That's the most important thing. I didn't break my mission orders and go stumbling through the jungles of Africa just to watch these people being slaughtered. I want Felix and his men to use their psynergy whenever they need to, no holding back. Piers, I want you to defend the villagers more than everyone else; don't be afraid to break away from the battle to heal them. Felix. I'm placing you in charge of the doctor's life; you are to protect her at all costs. Sheik, I want you to seek refuge when the battle gets too intense. Don't worry about the villagers if it means risking your life. Everyone is to use their primary weapons, forget stealth. We've only got one shot at this, everyone get as much rest as possible before we fight. The plan was finalised; the group knew what they were to do. They were to rest well in order to start their assault with fresh legs. They were incredibly close to the border, a mere ten kilometres away. "Can't we just make a run for it?" Isaac asked what they were all thinking, but knew the answer. "There are over two thousand soldiers after us, who aren't too happy following Sheik's little Christmas present. Do you really think they are going to stop because of a little line on some map written by some explorer over a hundred years ago? We have to hold them off until we can get the hell out of this country, and trust me, when we do. they aren't going to be chasing us for a while, I'll make sure of that."  
  
This isn't the best time to start a battle; its starting to drizzle and we are fiercely outnumbered. Everyone has been in place for an hour, and there is no sign of the enemies. Ivan keeps informing me of their location. In another five minutes they will be in firing range. Felix has chosen to stay with the villagers, along with Piers. "This is it!" I inform Link. We ready our weapons, searching for any signs of movement. Without warning, a rocket is launched from the trees ahead of us. It strikes in between us and the soldiers, sending us forward about ten metres. "Fire, fire, shoot!" I'm screaming at Link whilst pumping bullets towards the gunfire headed our way. I'm throwing grenades around, too, especially at the groups that have entered the clearing. Bullets are flying past at almost impossible rates, but I haven't taken a single step back. I signal to Felix to start evacuating the villagers, but the rest of the soldiers and warriors remain behind to protect the fleeing men and women. Link is currently using a standard assault rifle; his shotgun isn't fast enough. We're pumping out bullets faster than I thought the guns fired, but nobody else seems to have noticed. Our men have readied their own missiles, and are striking back. The numbers are overwhelming us, but we are still fighting back bravely. "Don't move forward, there are too many of them. Break into a slow retreat." I'm issuing orders to the men that have come to assist us, and we are fighting stronger than I have ever seen before. "Let's get out of here, retreat!" We are moving backwards slowly; bullets are whizzing past us at incredible speeds. "Ivan, Sheba! Get us some transport, now!" We are already in line with the villagers, and Felix is defending the doctor fiercely. "Everyone, hide! We'll hold them off." Felix stands where next to the log the doctor is hiding under and Sheik leaps down from the tree he was using for cover. Piers is leaping from villager to villager, ensuring everyone is alive and unharmed. We are bravely counter-attacking the enemy forces, but there's no way we can win.  
  
Without warning, Isaac and Garet bravely leapt in the middle of the battle. Garet summoned Meteor, a large meteor from outer space. As it neared the earth, the many small meteors lost track or collided with it. The soldiers were unaware of its approach; they were too busy attacking the small band of warriors that were trying to escape with their African refugees. The meteor plummeted down to the battlefields, straight onto the enemy forces. Those that weren't crushed were cast aside; a large portion of the soldiers were no longer able to fight. With more than two hundred soldiers wiped out with the attack, they soon fired back, angrier than ever. Countering this, Isaac summoned Daedalus, Master Craftsman of ancient times. Towering over the treetops, over fifty kilometres away, a large rounded rock that resembled that of a human appeared. Taking a few steps that shook the ground, a compartment opened in its two shoulders. Dozens of large rockets were fired into the air. They had the same appearance as a plane's missiles, and they skimmed the treetops to the battlefield. After about forty were fired, a section opened up in its chest, and a much larger rocket, about the same size as a jumbo jet, was fired into the air. The smaller ones were already striking the soldiers, but the large one had a long way to go. A large explosion encompassed the area, and another sixty soldiers were sent flying by the impact. The remaining advancing soldiers readied turrets and rocket launchers. "Nice work, now get out of there." Darkace was concerned for their safety, but couldn't leave the villagers. The two brave warriors leapt to the sides as three rockets headed towards them. One of them struck a cliff that was nearby the doctor's hiding spot, and her only escape was blocked by falling rocks. "Everyone, retreat. run, get to that border." Darkace refused to leave anyone behind as their adversaries moved into his and Link's original positions. The villagers ran, and were soon followed by the soldiers who constantly returned fire. Felix began running, but realised that the doctor was trapped by bullets flying past and rocks. He rushed back to assist her, and Darkace noticed his haste to return to the battle. He called Piers back, and they watched him after they took cover. Felix leapt over tree stumps and shrubs to get to her, and he held off the attackers whilst she regained her senses. She had also noticed his run, and watched from afar. When Darkace realised what Felix was doing, he called back Link to assist. "They're going to have to run through here, it's the only place safe enough to shield them. I want you on this side of the gap." Darkace informed Link when he arrived. "Piers, I want you over there." He ordered, pointing to the other side of the path. Felix had managed to free her from the fallen rocks and they began running beside each other. A bullet struck past them, and Felix became aware of the danger they were in. He dropped behind the doctor to shield her from any bullets. Darkace stood about thirty metres away, offering his encouragement. Felix was shot several times, mostly in the back but a few struck his hip. Instead of falling to the ground, defeated, he threw himself at the doctor, where he was shot a lot more. "Go, go!" He ordered the doctor to keep running, but she did so reluctantly. "Defend your ground, give me covering fire." Darkace wasn't about to let his friend die. "Jane, run!" The doctor eventually picked up speed again and passed the gap that Piers and Link were defending. Darkace fired the entire time he raced to help Felix. His two sub-machine guns pumped out bullets with incredible accuracy. Ten soldiers were dropped by his trigger finger, and the onslaught had to cease due to his ferocity. His enemies began firing from afar, but still he cut down soldier after soldier. He was full of rage at what they did to Felix, and he was avenging those bullets. Darkace received his share of bullets - he was shot three times in the torso. Still he ran on, firing the entire time, waiting for the clip to empty itself. It did so as he reached Felix, and before he dropped to his friend, the expired cases from his gun did so. Gracefully sliding his guns onto his belt, where they were refilled, he then ran the guns down his legs to cock them. After his guns were reloaded, he knelt down to assist Felix. Darkace lifted him onto his shoulder and suddenly realised his wounds. They hurried as fast as their fatigued legs would take them, but a bullet wound its way towards Darkace's head. Without thinking, Piers summoned a shield to protect them. It appeared right behind the two warriors, at the exact moment the bullet would have met its target. The shot collided with the shield with a loud clash, and soon dropped without the momentum to continue. As Darkace ran through the gap, Piers and Link stepped out to cover them. Piers ran behind the men, protecting them from any more stray bullets, and Link, reverting to his shotgun, began firing into the crowd making its way towards them. He was shot by several glancing bullets, but the Kevlar deflected them enough. They still grazed his side, and he cried out in pain as his chest began burning under the incredible heat the bullets generated. Still he fought on, and when the first wave of soldiers, about fifteen, reached him he unsheathed his sword and began hacking violently. They struggled to run past him, but any that did so were struck down. Link was also in a fury, and he defended himself from any bullets with his Hylian shield. An enemy readied a rocket launcher aimed at the group, but Link, having defeated the soldiers, quickly drew his bow and arrow. He fired the arrow and it drove into the barrel, connecting with the rocket inside. It exploded as its seams were undone, and many soldier were caught in the blast or by the tree that was knocked down by the detonation. Link hurried after his comrades, and the Rebel forces began a fresh assault. After reaching the cliffs, any soldiers that could still fight had stationed themselves among the rocks and outcrops. They fired upon any attackers, which gave Felix and Darkace enough time to escape. They reached a large field of grass, which was more than two metres tall. They ducked and weaved through the pasture, following the paths made by the soldiers that had given them fire. They eventually reached the boundaries, and when they revealed their safety the refugees cheered and applauded their efforts. Enemy soldiers were rapidly approaching, but the giant rocket fired by Daedalus struck its target. Hundreds of soldiers were consumed in the explosion, not a single one caught in the blast surviving. Helicopters soon filled the sky, and everyone climbed aboard one. "It's not over yet, we still have to get out of here," Darkace informed the pilot as the remaining soldiers began appearing from the grassland. "Man the turrets, they should be powerful enough to get us past them. Darkace grabbed the large gun stationed on the side of the helicopter and began firing on any soldiers that were trying to gun down the helicopters. The others began doing the same, and the enemy finally went into a retreat. As they did so, however, large creatures littered the sky. These creatures flew, but they had no feathers. They were reptiles, but they looked like nothing any palaeontologist had dug up. They began swooping on the soldiers. A flying creature managed to seize a soldier in its jaws. It flew up high, about three hundred metres into the sky. When it reached its destination, its jaws began crushing the screaming soldier. The creature didn't stop until the man had been torn up, and the pieces soon fell to the ground. Darkace watched in horror as soldiers were slaughtered. "Turn this thing around; let's show them what we've got." He ordered the pilot. Many other helicopters were following this notion, firing upon the strange creatures that were tearing apart the retreating men. Darkace alone fired enough bullets to bring down one of these creatures, and soon they attacked the helicopters. "Tell those others to get out of here, we'll handle this." Darkace ordered a retreat and the pilot battled with the controls to keep the helicopter steady. Darkace began firing at the beasts with renewed ferocity and none managed to get close enough to cause damage. A large creature appeared, firing jets of fire, but no more Rebels were in sight. Darkace informed the pilot to get them out of there. They eventually reached their base in America, and informed the Colonel of their encounter.  
  
"They tore humans in half after travelling to great heights?" The Colonel would have put us in a restraining order if the pilots hadn't gotten video proof. "Yes, sir, it's like they were deliberately causing terror throughout us, as opposed to killing us for feeding purposes. They were just flying reptiles, but they knew exactly what they were doing." I shivered as I recalled the experience. We received several medals when we returned, but the truly amazing part of our mission was that not a single person aligned with us was killed. Every single refugee, including the critical ones we rescued from the village, returned with their life, as did the soldiers. Large numbers of them were sent to hospitals, but even the ones that were certain to die recovered with the assistance of psynergy and the safely extracted doctor. "You people are truly amazing, this army needs you. Every single person survived, and we received video coverage of the battle. You really are incredible people." The Colonel still can't believe how fiercely everyone fought in that battle. He is sending us to the trenches tomorrow; our forces there are rapidly being overwhelmed. I've already recovered fully from the bullets I received from the struggle, and so has everyone else. It's truly amazing because these wounds would kill an ordinary man, and yet we survived without permanent injury. In fact, we recovered fully within a week. A bunch of scientists want to do test and things on us, but they can go to hell. We've got a war to fight, and I feel very soon we will encounter those odd creatures again.  
  
The helicopters copped Surface-to-Air missiles the second they entered the battle zone. A support craft was shot down, but the pilot managed to eject himself before the chopper came crashing down. "Oh they are not about to shoot us down!" Darkace declared as they became the focus of the attack. "Sheik, fire from that window. Felix, man the turret." The group managed to secure their safety long enough to reach their side of the battle, where they were rushed out of the helicopter. Bullets zoomed past, but not a single warrior feared for their safety. When they hit the ground they immediately raced for the trenches, dodging bullets and mortars. They reached cover in tact, but many soldiers had been wounded. "Piers, I want you to tend to the sick. Try and keep them healed until support can come." Darkace sent orders around the firing lines, and soon developed a front line. "We can't protect the hospital if we're fighting right in front of it. We need to gain some ground. Red Group, Grey Group. You're with me." A plan was soon devised, and Darkace readied his troops. "Alright, let's make this quick." Launching a flurry of grenades, the strike team leaped on to the ground and made their own vantage points in holes made by explosive weaponry and other obstacles. "We have to take out those towers. Sheik, can you attack their firing lines?" Many soldiers fell to the supreme accuracy of the warriors, who now had the advantage over the attackers. The group made good progress, and soon made some incredible ground. "Alright, we've secured some hills, get some troops up here." Although this was the first war Darkace had been involved in, he handled himself quite well. Garet tore across their lines of attack, striking powerfully with his assault rifle and grenade launcher. Isaac sniped people from an awesome vantage point, the top of a hill with a full view of the battle. Sheik readied his sniper rifle, and gave Felix covering fire. Piers continued to heal any wounded soldiers and Darkace continued with his assault. The group had completely annihilated any attacks the enemy could muster, but soon the heavy machinery was brought out. Heavy turrets were stationed around the area and air strikes soon became another foe. Missile launchers were issued a lot more and Darkace could gain no extra ground. Link took out many of the standard infantry, but tanks and other assault vehicles soon entered the arena. "Darkace, we need assistance!!" Ivan beamed over the radio. "We're under attack; they managed to form an assault team. We didn't know what hit us, but they're taking hostages. The hospital is their main priority. I repeat, we are under -" nothing but static followed. "Ivan, Ivan, do you copy?" Darkace tried hard to re-establish contact, but his efforts were in vain. "Felix, Piers, Garet, Isaac - come with me. Link, in about an hour I want you to come and assist. Let's go!" Jenna and Karst fought together against their opponents. As soon as they had been attacked, Karst had found shelter. She hid from the soldiers until they gave up searching, convinced they had found the lot. The others thought Karst had ditched them to save her own hide, but were proved wrong when Karst risked everything to save them. When Rebels began taking hostages out to firing lines, Karst had leapt behind them to gain the element of surprise. She swiped fiercely at her opponents and many fell to her blades. After the initial attack, Jenna had moved in for an assault of her own. Mia ensured the patients remained calm, but Ivan and Sheba were taken to an imprisonment on the outskirts of the fight. Jenna took down many of her own opponents, but when Karst was cornered, she rushed over to help. Using her psynergy she cast Dragon Fume, a dragon made of flames which burnt its opponents inside then returned to the ground. Karst thanked her and since then they fought as one. Mia was also captured, and only the two women could defend the hospital. Crashing through the windows, Darkace and his companions struck back, firing at every soldier that turned to face them. Soon they were surrounded, but still they fought back. Piers' psynergy was drained from repelling bullets, and Felix fell after an encounter with three Rebel soldiers. Darkace stood strong, as did Isaac. They managed to free the struggling women as they fought their share of soldiers. Isaac remained strong, and led the enemies away when he discovered where Feizhi was hiding. All hope seemed lost for the band of warriors, but smashing through the roof entered Link. He sliced an opponent the second he landed, and struck down another three before he could turn to face Darkace. "This is where we show them who is in charge of this battle," he stated simply. Taking down soldier after soldier, Link nimbly dodged their kicks and punches and replied with his own weapons. Darkace also managed to attack without his weapons; he leaped around throwing kicks and punches of his own. Isaac withdrew his sword but Garet remained strong with his assault rifle. When the clip emptied he discarded it for his sword, and soon he was tearing apart Rebel soldiers' guns before delivering finishing blows to them. Jenna had with her a staff, which she used to call forth more psynergy. She also went one-on-one with many of her opponents, whereas Karst took on masses of soldiers with blades of her own. Piers, having exhausted his psynergy, reverted to his guns, and struck down any snipers and enemies standing back. Felix had been knocked unconscious, and was taken to the camp with Ivan and Sheba. Feizhi had surrendered to passing soldiers, which removed both her and them from the battle. Jenna was ready to collapse, but Darkace refused to let her be taken prisoner. Karst was taken out after ten soldiers confronted her at once, and an enemy snuck up behind Piers to capture him. Still Darkace and Link fought on, and Isaac forced the soldiers into a retreat. Jenna was exhausted by this point and she retreated herself. The soldiers caught sight of this, and pursued her. When she was cornered by Rebels, Darkace broke off from his own fight and annihilated them. In doing so, she managed to escape, but Darkace collapsed and was taken prisoner, along with Link, who could fight no longer. Garet fell soon after. When they captured all of the warriors they could, massive reinforcements arrived to defend the hospital. The hospital was spared, as were Jenna and Karst, whom they had forgotten about in their haste.  
  
I can't believe they got us, it really frustrates me. Mia seemed the most alarmed by this ordeal; she had never seen guns fired at such close range. Many soldiers were cut down by Link, and Isaac, although he tried to restrain himself, killed many opponents with his weapon. More blood had been spilled over the floors than any of them had seen before. Even I was horrified at the sight of the confrontation, and it got the group worried. I always worried why people went mad when they grew old, but now I'll never forget what we have done. We didn't mutilate any bodies, but so much blood leaked from their stomachs, where we chose to attack. Mia was fortunately captured before things got too violent, as did Ivan and Sheba. Jenna, I fear, viewed a lot more than the others suspect. Now we're stuck in this nightmare, but I won't let them harm any females. They beat me every time I defy them, but the other warriors stand up for me. I have to stop challenging them; others are being harmed by my actions. "We'll get out of here; I'm going to make sure of it." Ivan had merely sat in the corner of the cell when they were thrown in here. He stared into space as he comforted Sheba, not meaning a word he said, but now a fire brewed within his eyes. "We can't, I'm not letting anyone else get hurt through my defiance." I truly fear for my comrades, but I feel this made them more determined than ever. "So, you're just going to let us fight for what's right by ourselves, some leader." Isaac is very persuasive, but I'm not stupid. "No, I'm going to let you get yourselves killed whilst I live to fight another day, this war doesn't revolve around us." Garet seemed frustrated by this sudden defiance, but Mia calmed him down. "Everyone, can you give me a moment with him." The group made their way to the other side of the cell, and we talked privately. Mia told me how she feared all that had happened since we met, and she had seen the video of our battle. "I hoped so much that I would see you face again, but I didn't want it to be in a cell. When I heard that all the warriors had been captured, I feared that meant you, and I can't take it any more. I have to get out of here." Tears have begun rolling down her cheeks, so I take it upon myself to calm her down. "Look, it was stupid of me to drag you all here." I wrap my arm around her shoulder, and she hugs my in return, but I have no intentions of going any further. "I'll never give up, never. I just have to find a way so that only I suffer; I can't bear them torturing you because I won't let them attack Sheba or Ivan. They know they can't torture me; I'm surprised they haven't taken me out and shot me. Maybe they're afraid of me escaping; they've seen me fight. I'm not going to leave anyone behind, though, so I'm going to hang back until security starts to loosen up."  
  
Defeated, Mia stood up and returned to the other warriors. I sat in the corner, staring at the wall for the next three hours. Garet tried talking with me, but soon gave up when I refused to acknowledge him.  
  
Darkace had become quite detached from the rest of the group. He had numerous bruises for attacking soldiers when they beat any of the females or Ivan. The militia had become annoyed with his constant interventions and beat him according to their moods. This time was a lot worse though. Mia had shielded Darkace when a soldier was prevented from striking Feizhi across the face. Two others had entered when they viewed the conflict. The first soldier beat Mia across the head, and when she fell to the ground Darkace worked himself into a fury.  
  
There's no way anyone's going to hit Mia and live. I launch myself at the soldier and strike him in the face. I know I've broken something with that hit, but that's not enough to calm me down. The other soldiers are keeping their distance; they're only ensuring the others don't get involved. I've hit the idiot several times, mostly in the face, but it looks like he has lost all senses. It appears as though he is going to fall to the ground, but it doesn't seem fair that I should let him. When I finally start to run out of energy, I follow through with my foot and send him flying across the room. He hits the wall with surprising force, and falls to the ground unconscious.  
  
After the little outburst by Darkace, the two soldiers rushed the victim to the infirmary. Afterwards they returned, and proceeded to beat up Darkace. He was exhausted by this point, and could not defend himself. They led him outside and began attacking him, many times with the butt of their guns. When he returned to the group, three weeks later, Mia broke down in tears at the sight of him. Much of his body was covered in bandages; his left arm was broken and his right thigh was torn. He had several bruises and wounds along his back, and he couldn't put any pressure on either of his legs. The group had gotten used to their circumstances; they even gave up thinking of escaping. Darkace remained silent, and after a couple of months the group became quite worried about his mental health. He only ate half of his food; the rest he rationalised among the group. He focused mainly on Ivan and Sheba, who were deteriorating in health rapidly. Piers sustained him with his psynergy, as did Mia and Felix. Isaac maintained the confidence of the group, which kept them going from day to day. The entire group recovered with Darkace's sacrifice, but there was no guarantee that he would survive. After a few more weeks, the guards believed they had tamed the group, and thus worried less about security. After Darkace noticed the guard's relaxed faces, he knew it was his turn to attack. One day, during shift changes, a smile lit Darkace's face. As there was only one guard on duty, he snuck up to the edge of the cell and strangled him through the bars. He didn't kill him, but left the soldier unconscious as he groped for the keys. He seized the gun and told the others, with the exception of Link, to remain behind whilst he found more weapons. Any other weapons on the guard he shared around the group, but he gave a knife to Link. "Anyone who wants out, tell me now." He still hadn't forgotten about his friends, and they were going to escape today. Isaac, I want you and Felix to defend the cell - keep it quiet!" After he said this, he was gone. "Link, get over here." There was a guard in the next room, two in fact. "There's no way we can get past here, but there's bound to be disturbance in the other sector, looks like we're trapped." Without warning, the two warriors noticed a commotion. Sprinting from the other side of the room, one of the creatures Darkace had spotted over the first battle leapt on one of the soldiers. It began tearing into the screaming man's chest, but wouldn't succumb to the younger soldier's fire. When the screams had ended, the soldier was dead, the creature turned to the other man. Darkace, snatching the dagger from Link, rushed into the room and confronted the creature. It jumped for the next man, but Darkace dived on top of it. He struggled with the creature until he dug the blade deep into the monster's head. Blood spurted out from the wound, but after the creature ended its horrifying screeching, it collapsed on the floor. dead. The soldier thanked him, but Darkace didn't have time to reflect on his heroics. "You have to get out of here, with everyone in this camp. That includes the prisoners." The soldier rushed off to sound the alarm, whilst Darkace kicked the remains of the filthy animal. The entire camp had been evacuated. Darkace spoke with the leader of the camp, and soon formed an alliance. He had also been aware of a dark force behind the army's actions, but didn't have the contacts to defect to the Americans. They headed back to the hospital, with the two warriors in front to ensure that none of the soldiers were attacked.  
  
It's been three months since we have returned to the war, and a climax is evidently nearby. I happened to walk in on Felix and the doctor kissing in the hospital and Jenna was delighted to hear the news. After we had been taken prisoner, Jenna and Karst had taken control of the hospital, every day awaiting news of us. When Ivan successfully beamed a message out the girls had done exactly as he had said, readied a bed for any prisoners we managed to liberate. Due to our diplomacy with the leader, we managed to recruit the entire camp. The look on the Colonel's face when we showed up at his barracks was quite a sight.  
  
"I still can't believe there haven't been any chemical weapons fired." Darkace found it hard to believe that the war was still being fought in a conventional sense, with trenches and the occasional air strikes. "Why is it so hard to believe?" Isaac still didn't fully understand the nature of the human race. He still felt that honour played a strong part in confrontations, but in fact it was the opposite, it always had been. "You don't know how politics works. Usually these weapons would be fired after a couple of months, maybe a year or two. Quite often they are the ending strike in wars." Darkace found it hard to explain how wars worked in his world, but eventually managed to explain how corruption and greed worked in conjunction with power.  
  
We have finally been ordered for a final strike, the war is to end today. It's incredible the firepower that the American and Australian armies control. A large group has been instructed to form a direct assault, a straight out battle of military capabilities. Whilst this is taking place, the warriors and I are to sneak in to a building and extract a politician we have recently discovered is being held hostage. I was amazed to find out that he was the entire reason this war was being fought, because he was an incredibly important figure in his country. It's quite disturbing what humans will do to take control of other countries. The area we will be navigating is an underground passage which should lead us straight to our destination, provided our sources are correct. I prepared for the other scenario though, in case our spies were actually spies on a higher degree - spying whilst posing as a spy. 


End file.
